Am I in the wrong here? Lead Software Engineer Offer @ Ulta Beauty
TL;DR: FAANG Level interview process for a Staff to Principal role, requires collaboration across 50 SWEs and multiple scrum teams both onshore and offshore, role oversees all of Ulta's consumer facing e-commerce . Offered way lower (their offer was $135K) than the range advertised on job listing and discussed initially. 7 interviews totaling around 6 hours with at-least 2.5 to 3 hours tech and coding focused. Am I in wrong here to follow through the process and expect what was discussed and advertised? Full Story: First of all I don't mind if I get identified by posting this here so I'd like to name the company just so that others can stay away or be informed at-least. I applied for the Lead Software Engineering position at "Ulta Beauty" after carefully reading the job posting and after reading the comp range. This Lead position can be compared to Staff to Principal level roles, it required collaboration across 50 SWEs and multiple scrum teams ( both on-shore and off-shore ) and basically oversees the whole Front-End of the Ulta's consumer facing eCommerce side. HM really liked the profile and recruiter sets up a call and the compensation discussed with the recruiter was inline with the job posting and I was told it's flexible and it can even go higher. I really liked the whole vibe and the position overall. Recruiter had some odd questions (that usually happen later) regarding diversity etc. but I thought sure why not. So here is the process I went through, almost FAANG level (I say almost because there was no Systems Design interview but everything else was pretty close) Interviews: 1 - 30 minutes screening with recruiter 2 - 45 minutes HM screening 3 - 1 hour 15 minutes Live coding and tech round 4 - 45 minutes mixed interview with Product & Core Job responsibilities 5 - 45 minutes of mixed interview with Director focusing on Technical aspects and Leadership 6 - 45 minutes of mixed interview with another Director focusing Culture & Stress management / Workload management etc. 7- 1 hour interview again with HM focusing on competencies and some technical stuff. Everything went great and team really liked my and I reciprocated the same as I really liked the HM I was going to work with. Lo and behold I get an offer, I am so excited to jump on the call after such an exhaustive and a lengthy interview process. I was probably going to say yes immediately or in a day maybe, until they said the offer is $135K. I was speechless, I couldn't say anything. How can you have FAANG level interview process to make an offer such low that other companies usually make after having a 1 hour of interview. Later same day, I responded back explaining what the market shows as I have been interviewing with other roles and provided the ranges that are on par with Staff-Principal roles (this is a Lead role which maps approximately somewhere around that). Guess what, I get revised offer which is now $140K. I was stunned again. Company wasted so much candidates' time to make an offer so low than what was discussed or mentioned in the job listing. *sigh* I declined the offer, but I was so thrown off that next week I sent an email again asking if it was a mistake and I cited the original job listing as well as the original compensation discussion. And the response I get is: This role can go up to what's listed and initially discussed but this position is budgeted for $140K. My question is, then why not disclose that at the beginning of the process? Why do you need to drag the candidate to finish line, why would I ever say yes to this interview if I knew that in the beginning? I don't know if they realize that how much time is put into not only interviewing but all of the prep behind. This left me so shocked that I haven't been able to gather the courage to continue my interviews. Am I really in the wrong here for trusting them throughout the process with their words and what they advertised? Or is this some kind of bait and switch that's becoming so normalized in this industry? I understand that the market is not what it used to be, and I had lowered my expectations and I would have accepted a decent offer even at what was advertised, but to have around ~$35K discrepancy just on the base from the original discussion is just so disheartening and a slap in the face. And mind you, they repeated million times that they really like me and that I am an ideal candidate, like almost all of the team members said that and especially the Hiring Manager (although not her fault but still). YOE: ~10 TC: ~$250K #offer #compensation #Ulta #FAANG #interview
They just can’t afford you and decided to take the chance you may accept it at the end and have you interview anyway. Best way you don’t let this make you a victim is to take a break for few days, do something fun and then get started interviewing again till you find what you like. Don’t settle for anything less. This time get the recruiter to commit to a minimum salary before doing any interviews. And you will be glad later you are not joining a company with such shady approaches. The tough interview process will also make it easier with the next interview elsewhere. Good luck!
I can't imagine wasting someone's time like that just in hopes they'd be desperate to accept that. It wasted their time too but oh well like they cared. But yeah overall probably this is the best explanation and thank you for all the tips, I'd definitely be following that. The whole process is very exhausting honestly, and when I heard $135K I just froze. Very unprofessional and shay way of doing business. Hopefully anyone else out there can read this post before accepting.
Let it go and move on.
Yeah good advice, but at-least candidates should stay away from companies with these shady practices. I'd probably ask the comp 10 times before moving forward with any company.
hard truth: it’s a soft rejection
Actually I really thought about that. But all of the feedback said otherwise. Well maybe I'm naive thinking that was all true.
Definitely annoying but just move on, not much you can do. Apply at companies that see engineers as the profit center not the cost center
Yeah I can't do much but I just wanted to put it out there, I wouldn't want to see anyone else go through the same pain I had to. I get it that it happens, but at this level and with these kinda roles and responsibilities I was just shocked.
Pretty ridiculous. But you have to keep your chin up, eventually see it as good practice and keep going
I wish there was a legal way to report these kind of time wasters but I guess there's nothing I can do. But yes definitely have to keep moving, was just bummed with the whole situation.
I’ve worked for some cheap companies but this is insane
Exactly my thoughts. Now I think even if they had offered what was discussed I would always be begging for pennies in raises so maybe good riddance.
Why not take it as a 2nd job? Obviously they don’t value your time so give them what they’re paying for. There’s no reason you need to put that on your resume.
Lol didn’t even think about that, but even then probably not worth it due to how much time consuming it is. I was told there are non-stop meetings to the point getting a break for the restroom or drinking water becomes a challenge. I am now really thinking that I dodged a bullet.
Thats y i dont interview with companies whos offer sucks. Dont interview with no name companies
Yeah I only did because of mutual comp understanding in the beginning. Ulta is not no name but yeah probably no name in tech.
You’re overthinking this. It’s a numbers game - consider it interview practice and move on.
Umm not really overthinking but rather pissed at the shady practice of luring candidate into interview process when they can’t pay shit.
TL;DR
Just added.